Question

[og ogilby]

If Tony Blair called an election and then lost his own seat, would the deputy PM automaticaly become PM or would Tony Blair have to resign as PM first?

What I'm really trying to find out is does the prime minister have to be a member of paliament?

 

[Jografer]

Common practice is that the PM has to be a member of the commons, but there is precedent for he/she to be a member of the Lords, so the answer is yes, has to be a member of parliament.

 

[og ogilby]

Thanks for the reply but it only partly answers my question. My fault for naming the thread question and then asking two questions.

If Blair lost his seat at a genral election but didn't resign as party leader or prime minister, what happens?

 

[Hocus Eye.]

As soon as Parliament closes and an election begins, all MPs and ministers including the Prime Minister lose their jobs.

After the results of the election are known, the monarch invites the leader of the party with the largest number of elected MPs to form a government.

If the previous leader of that party has not been re-elected then the party needs to find a new leader using whatever process is defined in the rules for that party.

 

[og ogilby]

If the previous leader of that party has not been re-elected then the party needs to find a new leader using whatever process is defined in the rules for that party.

So if Blair lost his seat but did not resign as leader of the labour party, and Labour won the election, who would be prime minister in the time before the Labour party elected a new leader?

 

[Haller]

Technically, the prime minister is appointed by the monarch. The Queen can name anyone she wants.

In practice, now that the post of deputy prime minister exists, the deputy would take over in a caretaker capacity. The same as if a prime minister died in office.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Thanks for the reply but it only partly answers my question. My fault for naming the thread question and then asking two questions.

If Blair lost his seat at a genral election but didn't resign as party leader or prime minister, what happens?

He resigns in order to call the election.

 

[og ogilby]

The more I think about this, the more unclear it becomes.

If the prime minister resigns when he calls the election, who is the prime minister in during the election?

 

[Fullyplumped]

The more I think about this, the more unclear it becomes.

If the prime minister resigns when he calls the election, who is the prime minister in during the election?

The deputy. But there is no requirement in the constitution of the UK for there to be a PM or a Deputy. Convention would provide that the monarch would appoint someone, probably the Deputy PM, but she would be free to choose. I imagine she would consult the Privy Council and act on its advice.

 

[og ogilby]

The deputy would also have resigned his position at a general election though, along with all the other MP's.

Your statement that there is no constitutional requirement for there to be a PM answers my question though, as I assume if the UK were to get attacked during an election, the ex PM would act as PM and if any body challenged his/her right to do so, the monarch would support the PM with her trump card.

 

[Fullyplumped]

The deputy would also have resigned his position at a general election though, along with all the other MP's.

Not necessarily. You don't have to resign as a Minister at or after an election. For example, Jack McConnell is still first Minister and Nicol Stephen is his Deputy, even though the Scottish Parliamentary election has taken place and that will continue to be the case until a decision is taken as to whether a New FM and DFM is to be appointed. That will probably take several weeks and they will continue in office until matters are resolved.

Right enough, it is unlikely that they'd get away with commissioning a new Forth Bridge in the meantime.

 

[og ogilby]

Thanks for all the replys.